Wednesday, February 25, 2009

FPRA challenges public relations professionals to reveal “Secret Identities”

Do you have a stellar PR campaign that you worked on this year? Or a dynamic presentation?

If so, then the time has come to reveal your "secret identity"!

The SWFL FPRA is inviting all public relations professionals to reveal their “secret identities” and participate in “Super-Powered PR”—the 2009 Image Awards Program—by submitting their winning entries.

The Image Awards competition is conducted annually by the FPRA to recognize outstanding public relations programs in Florida and to both encourage and promote the development of public relations professionalism in our state.

The Image Awards have become a standard of public relations excellence in the state of Florida. Winners demonstrate the very best examples of innovation, planning and design in the public relations field. The awards competition includes four divisions of categories: Public Relations Programs, Printed Tools of Public Relations, Audio/Visual Tools of Public Relations and Student Projects in Public Relations.
The 2009 Image Awards will showcase the past year’s best campaigns and brightest professionals. Be sure to check out the complete Call for Entries on www.fpraswfl.org as this year’s competition has some important changes.

Submit your winning entry to Image: Super-Powered PR, and help SWFL FPRA celebrate the journeys of public relations professionals throughout Southwest Florida.

Do not hesitate, as the March 20 deadline is coming faster than a speeding bullet!

Entries are due by MARCH 20 at 5:00 p.m. to:
Lee County Electric Cooperative
4980 Bayline Drive
N. Fort Myers, FL 33917
Cost for entries is as follows:
$35 per entry (FPRA members)
$50 per entry (non-members)
If submitting 3 or more entries, FPRA Member rate is $30 each.
Student entries are $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

It's 33 Degrees!

Got our wake-up call this morning at the Hyatt in Jacksonville, where Kathleen and I are attending the quarterly state Board meeting. The cheerful operator (YES, a real voice! But that still doesn't make up for having to PAY for wired internet access, I mean come on Hyatt - it's 2009!) said "Good morning Mrs. Cooper, this is your wake-up call. It's 33 degrees out". She said that last part very quickly so I asked "Did you say 33?" When she answered yes I told her I'd stay in my room then! No wonder FPRA President Lanette Hart says they call Jacksonville "south Georgia". Wouldn't mind it if I owned a mink...we really have it good in Southwest Florida.

The Jacksonville Chapter welcomed us to this beautiful city with a reception in an exclusive riverside, rooftop hospitality suite, 38 stories above the gleaming city. The sunset was amazing and watching the city come alive for the evening was a study in lights. Socializing at The Wine Bar followed...where patrons purchase a card to swipe at any of 50 plus wine stations, choosing a 1 oz., 3 oz., or 6 oz. serving. Money left on your card after an evening of taste-testing? No problem, cash it in at the register. Unique and fun!

Board meeting today at 8:30. The mood is very serious as we chat with PR pros from around the state and find many have moved on, or moved out, but nobody is moving up these days. Membership, meeting attendance and conference attendance are all areas of concern for every chapter. Perhaps the afternoon brainstorming session will yield some innovative ideas for adding even more value to your FPRA membership.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Putting your best face forward

February’s Luncheon called for FPRA members and guests putting their thinking caps on! Our meeting sponsor, John Dalida of Joan Drakert Recreational Mathematics Center LLC, made a short presentation on the foundation and also presented the audience with a mathematical puzzle. The center is dedicated to developing mathematical powers in people of all ages.

A raffle by the sponsor, presented a few lucky attendees with brain-bending prizes, and all guests were left with a mathematical challenge; the first to solve will receive a special prize; tune in to the next meeting to find out who won.

Three, Two,One…Blast off!

Ginny launched the meeting with introductions of the leadership team, and then it was down to business.

Notable Nuggets:

SWFL Chapter of FPRA welcomes: new members whose applications were approved at previous board meeting: Atali Maruri, Jennifer Berg, Marie Mosely, APR.
Just a reminder: Image Awards are just around the bend so put your thinking caps on and start working on your entries!

Our special guest this month was, Ken Sneeden of Ken Sneeden and Associates.
Members were enthralled by his presentation on, well, making successful presentations. We were taken through the common pitfalls of PowerPoint presentations, the research behind what works and what doesn’t; and just advice from year’s experience.

If attendees walked away with nothing else, they should remember the following…
Rule number one: AVOID DEATH BY POWERPOINT. We all know this common pitfall: text heavy presentation that has words zipping and zooming across the screen with all the bells and whistles available. This is the type of presentation that people just read to the audience.

The goal of every presentation:

All presentations focus on getting your organization’s message from point A to point B. The hope is to take the sometimes uninformed, doubtful and resistant audiences and utilize your message to transform them by fostering understanding, making them believe in your cause or business, and giving them a call to action.

Positive Weapons of Influence:
Effective presentations utilize or deliver messages based on the following weapons of influences: Commitment and Consistency; Liking; Social Proof; Scarcity; Reciprocation.

Tips for Stellar Presentations:
• Keep it Simple, Balanced and Beautiful
• Eliminate Death by PowerPoint

Ken left us with this to chew on:
I hear, I forget
I see, I remember
I do, I understand

The next luncheon will be held at on Tuesday March, 3 same bat time, same bat channel.
(Networking 11:15am, Broadway Palm Dinner Theater)

2009 Image Awards Call for Entries Now Available

The Call for Entries for "Super-Powered PR" - The 2009 Image Awards Program is now available online here.

Be sure to read it carefully, in addition to some exciting new changes in the categories, there are specific changes in the rules too! The entry deadline is March 20, 2009.

And don't miss the March luncheon meeting when Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC of Susan Bennett Marketing & Media will discuss the campaign that won the 2008 Dick Pope All Florida Golden Image Award - FPRA's highest honor!

You can register for the event at www.fpraswfl.org.